Heat-conducting fabric



I Feb. 10, 1953 E. H. HART 2,628,046

HEAT-CONDUCTING FABRIC Filed Feb. 9, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTOR. EUGENE h. HART ATTX.

Feb. 10, 1953 E. H. HART 2,628,046

HEAT- CONDUCTING FABRIC Filed Feb. 9, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEE'I' 2 INVENTOR. EUGENE H. HAR r ATTX Patented Feb. 10, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAT-CONDUCTING FABRIC Eugene H. Hart, Middlebury, Conn. Application February 9, 1948, Serial No. 7,260 1 Claim. (Cl. 245-2 This invention relates to heat transfer means, and more particularly to a heat-conductive fabric which is adapted to increase the efficiency of heat transfer between the surface of object and the surrounding atmosphere.

One object of this. invention is to provide a heat-conductive fabric of the above nature which includes a plurality of linked elements of heatconductive material, whereby heat may be rapidly conducted to or from a; surface in contact with the fabric.

Another object is to provide a heat-conductive fabric of the above nature in which the conductive elements are loosely linked together in sheet form by means of cords, whereby the fab ric will be flexible'and will conform to the shape of the surface upon which the fabric rests.

Another object is to provide a heat-conductive cooling blanket having a porous surface which will be exposed to the atmosphere and yet will protect the user against drafts of air.

Another object is to provide a heating blanket which may be used in combination with a source of radiant heat, for rapidly warming a person covered thereby.

A further object is to provide a device of the above nature, which will be simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to apply and manipulate, compact, ornamental in appearance, and very efficient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view, there have been illustrated on theaccompanying draw ings severalforms in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice;

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the improved heat-conductive fabric in the form of a blanket,

form of the fabric, wherein the heat-conductive elements are spherical and slotted.

Fig.6 is a side view of one o the elements of the second form of fabric before the element has been .crimped to secure the connecting cords in the slots.

Fig. 7 is a side View of the same after the crimping operation.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the same.

Fig. 9 is a side view of a cylindrical heat-conductive element used in the third form of the fabric and showing the connecting cords.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the same.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary side view, partly in section of a fourth form of the heat-conductive fabric in which the elements are conical.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fifth form of the fabric in which the heat-conductive elements are pyramid-shaped.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter A indicates a person reclining in a bed B, and covered by the improved heat-conducting blanket C.

The body of the blanket C in the first form of the invention shown in Figs. 1-3 is composed of a large number of tubular cylindrical elements it! formed of a material which will conduct heat rapidly, such as copper or aluminum. Each of the elements 10 has parallel flat end surfaces l i, and pairs of small transverse bores l2 located at right angles to each other at the mid-portions of said elements Ill.

The tubular elements H) are secured together flexibly to form the blanket C by means of a series of parallel cords I3 and another series of parallel cords It at right angles to the cords i3 arranged in such a manner that the cords I3, it pass through the bores, I2 and cross each other within the elements It. The cords l3, l4 may be constituted by a single length of cord which is threaded back and forth through the elements it, as shown in Fig. 3, and secured at its ends by knots i5. The cords l3, [4 are composed of tough and flexible material such as metal, nylon, or a nylon sheath around a spun glass core, the latter being preferable because of its resistance to stretching.

The tubular elements 10 may be of any desired size, and when used as a bed coverin will preferably be of the order of a quarter of an inch in diameter, and the cords I3, M will be threaded therethrough with sufficient l-ooseness to allow intermediate bendable or free cord sections between the elements i0 and thus permit free flexibility in the blanket.

Only a small section of the heat-conductive fabric is shown in Fig. 3 to illustrate the arrangement of the elements 10 and cord-s [3, M, it being understood that said fabric may be made in sheets of any desired extent. It will also be understood that the heat-conductive elements it may be provided with any desired finish, and when the material of these elements is aluminum, the finish may be a thin oxide of any attractive color, which may be applied by anodizmg Referring now to Fig. 1, the numeral l6 represents a source or radiant heat in the form of an electric infra-red ray generating lamp, which is supported byastand'ard 11,,in such a position as to project heat rays upon the blanket C. When used in this connection, the heat conductive elements I of the blanket C will preferably be provided with a dull black finish so that they will absorb the radiant heat rapidly.

Second form In the second form of the invention shown in Figs. -8 provision is made of a plurality of heatconductive spherical elements I8, preferably of aluminum, which are provided with an upper pair of parallel slots 9, and a lower pair of parallel slots located at right angles to the slots 19, and offset therefrom.

The spherical elements I 8 will be loosely secured together to form a flexible fabric sheet Ci (Fig. 5) by means of crossing pairs of cords 2|, 22 which are entered in the slots [9, 29, respectively, and are secured therein by crimping down the edges of said slots to form retaining lips 23, 24.

' Third form In the third form of the invention shown in Figs. 9 and 10, a plurality of solid cylindrical elements 25 are loosely secured together by means of crossing pairs of cords 2'9, 21, fastened in upper and lower pairs of crimped slots 28, 29, respectively. It will be seen that the cylindrical elements 25 are provided with fiat endsurfaces 36, adapted to lie in contact with the surface of an object upon which the fabric rests.

Fourth form In the fourth form of the invention shown in Fig. 11, the fabric sheet C3 is made up of circular conical elements 3 I, each of which has a flat end surface 32, and crossing bores 33 offset in different planes passing through its mid-portion. The conical elements 3! are secured together by means of crossing cords 34, 35, passing through the bores 33.

Fifth jo'rm In the fifth form of the invention shown in Fig. 12, the sheet C4 is made up of pyramidal cone elements 36, each of which has a flat base surface 31, and ofiset crossing' 'bores 38 in its mid-portion. The pyramidal elements 36 are secured together by crossing cords 39, entered through the bores 38'.

Operation In operation the improved heat-conducting fabric may be employed to increase the efiiciency ofthe heat transfer between any object and a surrounding medium by utilizing the heat differential between said object and said medium.

One example of the use of the heat-conductive fabric herein disclosed is illustrated in Fig. 1. When the sleeper A wishes to keep as cool as possible, the fabric blanket C will be placed over the sleeper without using the heat lamp It. Because of the flexibility of the sheet C, the individual heat conductive elements ID will conform closely to the sleepers body, and thus will remain in contact with it so as to dissipate the body heat rapidly. v

The height of the elements I9, however, will protect the sleeper against undesirable drafts. At the same time, it will be seen that the porosity of the fabric, which results from the large spaces between and within the elements ID, will permit the access of air to the body of the sleeper A, so that the cooling effect of the normal evaporation of body moisture will be maintained.

Thus, the heat-conducting fabric of the present invention may be used for cooling purposes by increasing the effect of a temperature difierential between a person's body and the surrounding atmosphere.

However, the function of the fabric is not limited to the outward transfer of heat away from the body or other object which it covers, but said fabric may also be used to conduct heat to the body. Thus, when the sleeper wishes to keep as warm as possible, the heat generating lamp 16 will be used to direct heat rays upon the blanket C. The heat-conductive elements l0 will absorb these rays and transfer the heat through the fabric C to the person A covered by the blanket C. The efii-ciency of the fabric will be enhanced if the elements [9 are provided with a heat-absorblng finish, such as a dull black coating.

.The other four forms of the invention shown in Figs. 23-12 will operate in substantially the same manner as the first form, the principal diiference between the respective forms being in the shape of the heat-conductive elements.

One advantage is that the fabric is not limited to use as a covering for a sleeper, but may be applied to any object to increase the efii-ciency of the heat transfer to or from said object, inasmuch as the contact of the inner ends of the ele- .ments ill with the surface of the object will result in greatly increasing the heat conduction there- 'betw-een.

While there has been disclosed in this specification several forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

In a heat-conducting fabric, a plurality of rows of short tubular members of heat-conductive material, each of said members having a plurality of side apertures, and a plurality of rows offlexible cords passing through said apertures and crossing each other within said members, said cords being interconnected to form a flexible fabric, said tubular members having fiat ends adapted to lie in full heat-transmitting contact with a surface upon which said fabric rests, spaces being left between adjacent members to permit the passage of air.

EUGENE H. HART.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 378,415 Burkhardt Feb. 21, 1888 533,791 Doehring Feb. 5, 1895 1,447,294 Cole Mar. 6, 1923 1,499,769 Godefroy July 1, 1924 1,539,074 Cary May 26, 1925 1,612,977 Lundstead Jan. 4, 1927 1,669,683 Temple et al May 15, 1928 2,253,659 Swarovski Aug. 26, 1941 2,449,796 Suskind Sept. 21, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country 7 Date 149,275 I Great Britain Aug. 4. 1921 

